METHOD TO PLAY VENDOR VIDEOS
A method includes identifying that the destination phone number of a call made by a communications device is to a vendor and playing a video clip associated with said vendor on said communications device during said call. Another method includes storing videos associated with a multiplicity of vendors, receiving a phone number associated with one of said vendors from a communications device, and providing a video associated with said vendor to said communications device. The invention also includes the device and server implementing the methods.
1 . A method comprising:
identifying that the destination phone number of a call made by a communications device is to a vendor; and
playing a video clip associated with said vendor on said communications device during said call.
2 . The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:
requesting said video clip from a vendor video server, said request including at least said destination phone number.
3 . The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:
utilizing said destination phone number to retrieve said video clip from a video storage unit on said device.
4 . The method according to claim 1 and wherein said playing occurs while said call is on hold.
5 . The method according to claim 1 and wherein said playing comprises repeating said video clip.
6 . The method according to claim 5 and wherein said repeating comprises continuing until one of the following actions occur: a stop button is pressed, the call ends and an audio response from said vendor is received.
7 . The method according to claim 1 and wherein said playing comprises playing said video silently.
8 . A method comprising:
storing videos associated with a multiplicity of vendors;
receiving a phone number associated with one of said vendors from a communications device; and
providing a video associated with said vendor to said communications device.
9 . The method according to claim 8 and wherein said providing comprises:
selecting a vendor video clip associated with said phone number; and
downloading said selected vendor video clip to said device.
10 . The method according to claim 9 and wherein said selecting comprises:
receiving customer call information from said vendor associated with a current call from said device to said vendor; and
processing said information to determine which of said vendor video clips to download.
11 . The method according to claim 10 and wherein said information is at least one of: an on-hold estimate, customer call history details and a customer interest prediction.
12 . A communications device comprising:
a media player;
means for detecting a phone number of an outgoing phone call from said device and
a vendor video client to determine that said phone number is to a vendor and to play at least one vendor video on said media player during said call,
wherein said vendor video is associated with said phone number.
14 . The device according to claim 12 and also comprising:
a video requester to send a request for said vendor video to a vendor video server, wherein said request is associated with said detected phone number; and
a video receiver to receive said vendor video from said server in response to said request.
15 . The device according to claim 12 and also comprising:
means for storing said at least one vendor video; and
means for associating each said vendor video with an associated phone number.
16 . A video vendor server comprising:
a storage unit to store video clips associated with a multiplicity of vendors;
a request receiver to receive a phone number associated with one of said vendors from a communications device; and
a video downloader to provide a video clip associated with said vendor to said communications device.
17 . The server according to claim 16 and wherein said downloader comprises:
a selector to select a vendor video clip associated with said phone number; and
a downloader to download said selected vendor video clip to said device.
18 . The server according to claim 16 and also comprising:
an information receiver to receive customer call information from said vendor associated with a current call from said device to said vendor; and
an information processor to determine which of said vendor video clips to download.
19 . The server according to claim 18 wherein said information is at least one of: an on-hold estimate, customer call history details and a customer interest prediction.
20 . A method comprising:
storing videos associated with a multiplicity of vendors;
receiving, from one of said vendors, a phone number of a communications device currently communicating with said vendor; and
providing a video associated with said vendor to said communications device.
21 . The method according to claim 20 and wherein said providing comprises:
selecting a vendor video clip associated with said vendor; and
downloading said selected vendor video clip to said device.
22 . The method according to claim 21 and wherein said selecting comprises:
receiving customer call information from said vendor associated with a current call from said device to said vendor; and
processing said information to determine which of said vendor video clips to download.
23 . The method according to claim 22 and wherein said information is at least one of: an on-hold estimate, customer call history details and a customer interest prediction.